Igihe

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  • Pope Names first Native American saint

    Pope Benedict XVI will name 17th century Mohawk Kateri Tekakwitha the first Native American saint.

    Another newly named saint is Marianne Cope, a German-born woman who emigrated to the United States as a child, became a nun and went on to devote 30 years of her life helping lepers in Hawaii.

    Their canonization, along with that of five other saints, will be celebrated at a special Mass in St. Peter’s Square Sunday morning.

    “This is a great weekend for America in the Vatican, and it’s really a great weekend for Native Americans. Sainthood is the guarantee that this person is close to God,” said Vatican senior communications adviser Greg Burke.

    “There’s a vast history of people the Catholic Church has made saints over the centuries. Holiness is absolutely a matter of equal opportunity, but this certainly is special because it marks the first time a Native American becomes a saint.”

    Kateri Tekakwitha’s canonization follows what has been judged a miracle by the Roman Catholic Church in the 2006 case of an American boy with a flesh-eating bug.

    Jake Finkbonner was only 5 when he became infected by the bacterium after falling down while playing basketball, CNN affiliate King 5 News in Seattle reported. The infection spread quickly through the tissue of his face, with drugs and surgeries apparently powerless to stop its progress.

    “It was dire,” his mother, Elsa Finkbonner, told the network. “He was air-lifted to children’s hospital, and he was fighting for his life at that point.”

  • Gambia Says Sentence For Coup Plotters ‘Reasonable’

    Gambia’s Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentences passed on seven top brass for plotting a coup in 2009, including former army and intelligence chiefs and the ex-deputy police chief.

    The five-member panel of judges of the Supreme Court, chaired by Nigerian-born Chief Justice of The Gambia, Emmanuel Agim, ruled that the appeal grounds were “insufficient and the testimonies of both witnesses corroborated.”

    Judges also ruled that the death sentence passed by the high court was “reasonable.”

    This was the last chance of appeal for the convicts after the court of appeal in April last year also upheld the death sentences.

    The High Court in Banjul in July 2010 sentenced the eight to death. They include former army chief Langtombong Tamba, former intelligence chief Lamin Badjie and former deputy police chief Modou Gaye as well as two businessmen and three senior military officers.

    However, one of the convicts, Lebanese businessman Youssef Ezziden was last seen in court a few weeks after they filed their appeal.

    They were found guilty of procuring arms in neighbouring Guinea as well as on two counts of conspiracy for an alleged bid to overthrow the government of President Yahya Jammeh, who himself seized power through a bloodless coup in 1994.

    Mr Jammeh, an outspoken military officer and former wrestler

  • Gambia Says Sentence For Coup Plotters ‘Reasonable’

    Gambia’s Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentences passed on seven top brass for plotting a coup in 2009, including former army and intelligence chiefs and the ex-deputy police chief.

    The five-member panel of judges of the Supreme Court, chaired by Nigerian-born Chief Justice of The Gambia, Emmanuel Agim, ruled that the appeal grounds were “insufficient and the testimonies of both witnesses corroborated.”

    Judges also ruled that the death sentence passed by the high court was “reasonable.”

    This was the last chance of appeal for the convicts after the court of appeal in April last year also upheld the death sentences.

    The High Court in Banjul in July 2010 sentenced the eight to death. They include former army chief Langtombong Tamba, former intelligence chief Lamin Badjie and former deputy police chief Modou Gaye as well as two businessmen and three senior military officers.

    However, one of the convicts, Lebanese businessman Youssef Ezziden was last seen in court a few weeks after they filed their appeal.

    They were found guilty of procuring arms in neighbouring Guinea as well as on two counts of conspiracy for an alleged bid to overthrow the government of President Yahya Jammeh, who himself seized power through a bloodless coup in 1994.

    Mr Jammeh, an outspoken military officer and former wrestler

  • Strategic Plans for Vocational Schools to be Changed

    Heads and teachers of technical and vocational schools in Southern province have been urged to change their strategic plans from one year to five years strategic plans.

    The move comes as a result of workshops organized by Workforce Development Authority through IPRC-South (WDA-IPRC-South) and Belgium Development Cooperation (BTC) training them on elaboration of strategic plans for technical and vocational schools

    “The program was the formation of elaboration of strategic plans of technical and Vocational schools with the WDA and the program will be implemented in IPRC-South for further pedagogical competencies” Said Xavier Rosy, Technical Assistant in the Belgian Program of Support to Technical and Professional Training.

    The principal of the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC-South), Rudahunga Gédéon has said 11 pilot vocational centres were trained and the training will help them to design programmes responding to their needs while at the same time improving the quality of Education in technical and vocational centres.

    “The programme will help them identify their needs. With information in place, means in place, there is a half of activities that can be implemented” noted Rudahunga

    Speaking on the gaps of pedagogical materials, Mr. Xavier Rosy said that some of the schools are still facing the problem of infrastructure development, facilities to reduce the size of the pupils in a class among others adding that Belgium will fund professional schools in Rwanda using over 6 million Euros in a period of 4 years.

    Mpigiye Norbert of Mugusa Vocational Training centres has said most challenging problems are teachers who leave the jobs looking for better payment elsewhere pointing out the low salary for Vocational Trainers.

    “Taking example of a student that we have trained, when finished courses in our schools you cannot employ him due to the fact that he cannot agree our salary which is low comparing to what he is going to do outside” Mpigiye said.

    “Another problem is that we struggle to teach pupils who have different level of studies; some with primary school level while others are secondary schools” He explained adding that all of these can affect the quality of education.

    However, Ndahiro Andre in charge of the quality of Education in WDA said as far as the quality of education is concerned; the government is working closely with WDA to solve those problems.

  • Strategic Plans for Vocational Schools to be Changed

    Heads and teachers of technical and vocational schools in Southern province have been urged to change their strategic plans from one year to five years strategic plans.

    The move comes as a result of workshops organized by Workforce Development Authority through IPRC-South (WDA-IPRC-South) and Belgium Development Cooperation (BTC) training them on elaboration of strategic plans for technical and vocational schools

    “The program was the formation of elaboration of strategic plans of technical and Vocational schools with the WDA and the program will be implemented in IPRC-South for further pedagogical competencies” Said Xavier Rosy, Technical Assistant in the Belgian Program of Support to Technical and Professional Training.

    The principal of the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC-South), Rudahunga Gédéon has said 11 pilot vocational centres were trained and the training will help them to design programmes responding to their needs while at the same time improving the quality of Education in technical and vocational centres.

    “The programme will help them identify their needs. With information in place, means in place, there is a half of activities that can be implemented” noted Rudahunga

    Speaking on the gaps of pedagogical materials, Mr. Xavier Rosy said that some of the schools are still facing the problem of infrastructure development, facilities to reduce the size of the pupils in a class among others adding that Belgium will fund professional schools in Rwanda using over 6 million Euros in a period of 4 years.

    Mpigiye Norbert of Mugusa Vocational Training centres has said most challenging problems are teachers who leave the jobs looking for better payment elsewhere pointing out the low salary for Vocational Trainers.

    “Taking example of a student that we have trained, when finished courses in our schools you cannot employ him due to the fact that he cannot agree our salary which is low comparing to what he is going to do outside” Mpigiye said.

    “Another problem is that we struggle to teach pupils who have different level of studies; some with primary school level while others are secondary schools” He explained adding that all of these can affect the quality of education.

    However, Ndahiro Andre in charge of the quality of Education in WDA said as far as the quality of education is concerned; the government is working closely with WDA to solve those problems.

  • Kagame Takes African Peace Personality of the Year Award

    President Paul Kagame has emerged winner of the African Peace personality of the Year award.

    Kagame was short listed with three other African personalities for the Africa Peace personality Award which was by an online voting system via the website of Miss University Africahttp://www.missuniversityafrica.org/).

    His Excellency, Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of
    Sierra Leone, for his approach and support to unite his people and
    heal the wounds of trauma, displacements, deaths and war in
    Sierra Leone.

    His Excellency Paul Kagame President of the Republic of Rwanda,
    for his ingenuity and style of leadership to unite the people of
    Rwanda and seek peaceful means to stabilize his country after the
    genocide.

    Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of the Republic of
    Liberia, for encouraging investment and unanimously elected for
    the second time as president of Liberia having led her country out
    of the ashes of a brutal civil war.

    His Excellency, Chief Olesugun Obasanjo Former President,
    Federal Republic of Nigeria, for his efforts to restore peace in
    Africa most especially the West African Sub region

    The vote which lasted 41 days had His Excellency President Paul
    Kagame with a total vote of 817,201 (eight hundred and seventeen
    thousand two hundred and one) as the highest score of the four
    shortlisted.

    The countries that voted his Excellency the most were: Rwanda, Ghana,
    Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Uganda. most of the comments
    posted were “the manner in which President Kagame handled the Hutus and Tutsis crisis in Rwanda demands the loudest applause
    worldwide”

    According to Mr. Taylor who is one of the managers of Miss University
    Africa, He personally remember during a visit to Liberia when they met
    with president Ellen Johnson of Liberia, after He told her about the
    votes and award she said “What President Kagame has done in Rwanda
    is very commendable, Rwanda is like a mentor to Liberia as we have a
    lot to learn from them especially coming out of a civil war” to him, for
    an African leader to speak in such volume about Rwandan President
    clearly states why he won this award from the rest of Africa”.

    The Organizers of Miss University Africa intend to fly to Rwanda with
    this award which will have His Excellency name engraved on crystal.
    Congratulations to our President and Congratulations to All Rwandans.

  • Kagame Takes African Peace Personality of the Year Award

    President Paul Kagame has emerged winner of the African Peace personality of the Year award.

    Kagame was short listed with three other African personalities for the Africa Peace personality Award which was by an online voting system via the website of Miss University Africahttp://www.missuniversityafrica.org/).

    His Excellency, Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of
    Sierra Leone, for his approach and support to unite his people and
    heal the wounds of trauma, displacements, deaths and war in
    Sierra Leone.

    His Excellency Paul Kagame President of the Republic of Rwanda,
    for his ingenuity and style of leadership to unite the people of
    Rwanda and seek peaceful means to stabilize his country after the
    genocide.

    Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of the Republic of
    Liberia, for encouraging investment and unanimously elected for
    the second time as president of Liberia having led her country out
    of the ashes of a brutal civil war.

    His Excellency, Chief Olesugun Obasanjo Former President,
    Federal Republic of Nigeria, for his efforts to restore peace in
    Africa most especially the West African Sub region

    The vote which lasted 41 days had His Excellency President Paul
    Kagame with a total vote of 817,201 (eight hundred and seventeen
    thousand two hundred and one) as the highest score of the four
    shortlisted.

    The countries that voted his Excellency the most were: Rwanda, Ghana,
    Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Uganda. most of the comments
    posted were “the manner in which President Kagame handled the Hutus and Tutsis crisis in Rwanda demands the loudest applause
    worldwide”

    According to Mr. Taylor who is one of the managers of Miss University
    Africa, He personally remember during a visit to Liberia when they met
    with president Ellen Johnson of Liberia, after He told her about the
    votes and award she said “What President Kagame has done in Rwanda
    is very commendable, Rwanda is like a mentor to Liberia as we have a
    lot to learn from them especially coming out of a civil war” to him, for
    an African leader to speak in such volume about Rwandan President
    clearly states why he won this award from the rest of Africa”.

    The Organizers of Miss University Africa intend to fly to Rwanda with
    this award which will have His Excellency name engraved on crystal.
    Congratulations to our President and Congratulations to All Rwandans.

  • Human Rights Watch Angry at Rwanda

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) has protested against the election of Rwanda to the Security Council of the UN as non-permanent member.

    Ida Sawyer, a researcher with the international NGO, said, October 18, that “Rwanda’s presence in the seat have a negative impact on the Congolese war victims in eastern DRC.”

    “We were very disappointed after the election of Rwanda as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Rwanda will now be able to block sanctions involving Rwandan officials and other initiatives in the search for peace in the DRC. We think it will be a serious situation that can have negative consequences on the population in eastern DRC, “she argued.

    For Human Rights Watch, “Rwanda is not credible now occupy this seat because of his support for the rebels of the Movement of March 23

  • Human Rights Watch Angry at Rwanda

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) has protested against the election of Rwanda to the Security Council of the UN as non-permanent member.

    Ida Sawyer, a researcher with the international NGO, said, October 18, that “Rwanda’s presence in the seat have a negative impact on the Congolese war victims in eastern DRC.”

    “We were very disappointed after the election of Rwanda as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Rwanda will now be able to block sanctions involving Rwandan officials and other initiatives in the search for peace in the DRC. We think it will be a serious situation that can have negative consequences on the population in eastern DRC, “she argued.

    For Human Rights Watch, “Rwanda is not credible now occupy this seat because of his support for the rebels of the Movement of March 23

  • Rwanda at Risk of Marburg Disease

    Rwanda is at risk of attack by a deadly Marburg disease which has been confirmed in the Ugandan district of Kabale.

    Five Ugandans have already succumbed to the deadly virus.

    Kabale district of Uganda Borders Rwanda. Its also where Katuna Border crossing is located….a major interuction point between Rwanda and Uganda on a daily basis.

    Ugandan media has reported that in Kabale District, four members of the same family reportedly died of Marburg disease.

    It has also been reported that A case of yellow fever was confirmed in the northern district of Agago.

    Uganda health officials have confirmed an outbreak of deadly yellow fever, Marburg and Hepatitis B.

    Marburg virus (MARV) causes severe disease in humans and nonhuman primates in the form of viral hemorrhagic fever.

    Marburg virus was first recognized in 1967, when outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia).

    The first people infected had been exposed to African green monkeys or their tissues. In Marburg, the monkeys had been imported for research and to prepare polio vaccine.